Locals play wiffle ball to benefit Franklin resident

Sunday

Aug 21, 2016 at 12:01 AM

By Corin CookDaily News Staff

FRANKLIN - More than a hundred people gathered at Fletcher Field Saturday morning for some fundraising, some trash talking and a lot of fun at the Random Smile Project’s fourth annual Wiffle ball tournament.

The Random Smile Project, established in 2006, is a Franklin organization aimed to provide simple acts of kindness to locals in need.

Its mission, member Colleen Swenson said, is to “offer a bridge of support for our community members during difficult times.”

This year, the proceeds from the tournament will benefit Franklin resident Jim Cashin, who is recovering from a liver transplant he received in June.

Swenson said the money is intended to pay some of the expenses the Cashin family has incurred through the transplant process.

Cashin has a wife and six children, who are very involved in town sports, Swenson said.

The fundraiser, she said, has raised anywhere from $7,000 to $13,000 through a combination of $125 team registration fees, concessions, T-shirt sales and a 50/50 raffle.

After teams registered and warmed up, the morning began with three round robin games, which volunteer Carla Stafford said would help determine teams’ skill levels so she could accurately seed them.

“We don’t want the two best teams to compete in the first round,” she said.

Then the tournament officially began, with teams facing off until there was one left standing.

The event typically lasts all day, Stafford said, at times going until 6 p.m.

Oftentimes, she said, eliminated teams “stay to watch the final game.”

“It’s always a great matchup,” she said.

This year's competition included 26 teams, 20 of which played in the competitive division, playing for a cash prize, while the remaining six played in the recreational division for a trophy.

Some of the teams included, Boys in the Hood, Brick Squad, Harambe’s Heroes, Past Our Prime, Homerun Hippies, Wicked Pissah and The Deadbeats. Some dressed in matching outfits or wore homemade T-shirts to show team pride.

And even though the event was for a good cause, most did not hesitate to convey the sport's competitive nature.

“I love sending all the young kids home crying,” quipped participant Andrew Bohac, who said he participates in the tournament every year.

Bohac was on a team called The Plague with three other members.

Teammate Kevin Flannery said the team is called The Plague because “nobody wants to get us.”

The team bragged about their skill, saying that the other teams needed to watch out because they finished in the quarterfinals two years in a row.

Others were not quite as competitive.

Katie Swenson and Natalie Downey of team Ballerinos said they were just participating because they wanted to “raise money for a family in need.”

Team Ballerinos played in the recreational division, Swenson said, because “we’re not really that good. We try, but we fail every time.”

Colleen Swenson added that while the Wiffle ball tournament is one of the charity’s most popular events, it is not the only thing it does.

The Random Smile Projects has hosted events such as galas, road races and Halloween parties.

The organization, she said, is “always busy year-round,” working on projects such as building ramps for the handicapped or completing home renovations.

“They help in any capacity as much as they can,” Swenson said. “They’re a lot of help to the community.”

Corin Cook can be reached at ccook@wickedlocal.com or 508-634-7521. Follow her on Twitter @corincook_MDN.